Solving constructed response math tasks can be tricky for students. To help my students, we practiced this all year with different skills we are learning. The post shares more information about constructed response math questions and a few free 4th & 5th grade tasks with a winter theme that you can use to sneak in some extra practice with a relevant seasonal ... Read More
Helping Students with Word Problems – Free Questions & Prompts
Word problems can be overwhelming for students and honestly for teachers, too. Teaching students how to use strategies and confidently work through word problems can be tough. This post will share a list of questions and prompts you can use as you support your students before and after they solve word problems. This will help you guide the students through solving the ... Read More
Free Word Problems for Math Intervention Activities
Is it a challenge for your students to break down word problems? Do they struggle with identifying the operation, solving the problem, justifying their answer, or all of the above? This can definitely be a challenge for your students and you when this happens (and it seems to happen every year). This post will share some strategies for teaching word problems and a set of ... Read More
Free Decimal Word Problems Sort
Word problems are something I incorporate into my instruction all year to best help my students succeed with them. I also like to use a variety of engaging resources and strategies so it doesn't get boring and monotonous. On this post, I will share some general tips for teaching decimal word problems and a free decimal word problems sort. Tips for Teaching Decimal ... Read More
Fraction Word Problems | Multiplying and Dividing Fractions
Word problems + fractions = a lot of struggle for many students. Especially when you throw in new concepts like multiplying and dividing fractions. Those fraction word problems are always pretty tricky for my students. The first year that I taught multiplying and dividing fractions, I really had to spend some time breaking down the concepts myself in order to best help my ... Read More
Word Problem Strategies : Analyzing Word Problems with Free Organizers/Mats
Word problems used to be the bane of my existence as a new teacher. Thankfully, I learned new strategies and resources to help me implement and teach word problem strategies all year. To be honest, teaching word problems all year was the ONE thing that I did that had the greatest impact (if you are interested in more information about word problems and how I teach them, ... Read More
Close Reading in Math for Upper Elementary
Close reading is all the rage in ELA classrooms, but it can definitely work in math, too. Students often struggle with word problems because they don't fully understand what the problem is telling them or asking them to do. By using close reading in math, you can help eliminate some of this struggle. Keep reading to read how I implement close reading with tricky word ... Read More
Free Word Problem of the Day Starter Pack
Confession: It was my first year teaching and one month before the state test, I realized that I had failed to expose my students to enough word problems for them to be successful and confident with them. I was so caught up in the pacing guide and using the math textbook that I failed to make the math real world and situational for my students. Big mistake on my part and ... Read More
Explaining Answers in Math: How to Help Your Students Explain Their Thinking
Have you ever asked a student to explain his or her answer in math and get a blank look, a quick change in answer, or the response, "I just did it in my head"? To be honest, each year my students pretty much start the school year this way. But, through purposeful instruction, I am able to get even those students with blank looks explaining their answers in complete ... Read More
8 Ways to Help Students Be Successful with Word Problems in Upper Elementary
Word problems can be really difficult for upper elementary students. The complexity of the word problems increase, the length of the problems themselves increase, the numbers are larger and more abstract, and often key words just don't work. Today I want to share with you eight ways to help students who struggle with word problems in upper elementary grades. 1. ... Read More
10 Ways to Get Students Writing in Math
Writing in math is more common and important in the elementary years than ever before. When I was in school, I barely remember writing more than a sentence in math class. Now, students are required and expected to write several sentences and even paragraphs explaining their math and justifying their answer. This can definitely be tricky as many students still think ... Read More
Solving Word Problems Without Relying on Key Words
One of the toughest things about teaching fifth grade is definitely the word problems. By fifth grade, a lot of students have become so dependent on using key words that they no longer even read for meaning when they're solving word problems. However, as fifth grade teachers know, key words only take the students so far. I have read many articles and blog posts that are ... Read More
